Kobe's Golden Week to Become "Germany" for 10 Days! "Kobe Oktoberfest 2026" Large-Scale Beer Event Attracting 60,000 People Announced

The Kobe Oktoberfest Executive Committee will hold "Kobe Oktoberfest 2026" for 10 days from Friday, May 1, 2026, to Sunday, May 10, at the Kobe Harborland Takamama Embankment Event Space.

This year marks the 11th holding since its first event in 2014!

This event has now become an established representative event of Golden Week in Kobe, with the cumulative number of visitors increasing year by year, growing into a large-scale festival attracting approximately 60,000 people annually.

In 2026, 12 brands of German beer will gather.

The venue will transform into an enthusiastic space just like the authentic German festival, where people can "drink, sing, and dance," creating an overwhelming buzz in the city of Kobe.

## Recreating the Authentic German Taste and Atmosphere, a Record Number of 12 Beer Brands Gathered

Kobe Oktoberfest, holding for the 11th time this year, allows you to enjoy 12 beer brands.

Among them, special attention should be paid to beers making their first appearance in Japan and beers from traditional breweries boasting nearly 1000 years of history.

- First landing in Japan in 2026! A sparkling gold, Urban IPA!

"Urban IPA" from "Maisel & Friends," a leading German craft beer, will make its first appearance in Japan.

This sparkling gold drink will lightly color your daily life. It features a refreshing aroma and sharp bitterness woven by carefully selected barley malt and Cascade hops. A solid body is comfortably accompanied by a moderate alcohol content of 5.6%. Carefully brewed with top-fermenting ale yeast, aromatic hops are added during fermentation to bring out a fruity and vibrant aroma. Furthermore, it is slowly aged under cold conditions, preserving its rich unfiltered flavor.

- First appearance in Japan: Spring-limited "Spring Lager"

"Erdinger Spring Lager," a spring-limited lager beer from "Erdinger," a leading German wheat beer brand, will make its first appearance in Japan.

This limited beer celebrates the arrival of spring, characterized by a refreshing taste and a moderate malt richness.

Its light aroma and crisp aftertaste are perfect for the warm spring weather and seaside locations.

It is one of the major highlights of this event as a rare opportunity to taste it in Japan.

- First-time venue appearance: "Original Helles" available in limited quantities

Weihenstephan, the world's oldest brewery, is known as the oldest brewery in the world, founded in 1040 AD.

Its softly effervescent carbonation and beer bitterness provide a pleasant stimulation to the throat. It is a golden lager beer where you can firmly feel the taste of malt.

Through traditional brewing techniques inherited over approximately 1000 years of history, it has earned high praise from beer fans worldwide.

In addition to these, Kobe Oktoberfest offers the charm of enjoying beer brands that should be drunk now, all in one venue, such as "Weltenburger," the world's oldest monastic beer founded in 1050, "Arcobräu," a count's brewery in Bavaria, the home of beer, and "Löwenbräu," an official Oktoberfest beer from Munich, Germany.

Beer brands appearing at Kobe Oktoberfest 2026 (in alphabetical order):

- Arcobräu
- Weihenstephan
- Warsteiner
- Weltenburger
- Vedett
- Erdinger
- König Ludwig
- Schwarzbräu
- Bayreuther
- Maisel & Friends
- Liefmans
- Löwenbräu

## German Food Essential for Beer

The venue will also feature traditional German food.